The consultant hired by Osun State Government to undertake payroll verification, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, has dismissed allegations of incompetence leveled against her by the management of Osun State University.
Bakrin-Ottun, while responding to the claims by the UNIOSUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adebooye, that 250 staff members of the institution were unjustly declared ghost workers in the audit exercise carried out by Sally Tibbot between May and June, 2023, said the report of the audit recommended sack of all principal officers of the Osun state-owned tertiary institutions for mismanagement.
The CEO of the audit firm who dismissed claims that she verified the credentials presented by the VC during the exercise, said Adebooye does not belong to the category of staff members she was contracted to verify.
In the report of the verification exercise obtained by PUNCH from Bakrin-Ottun on Saturday, her committee recommended dismissal of all principal officers of the six state-owned tertiary institutions, citing impunity, mismanagement of funds, among others.
The reports partly read, “There are six tertiary institutions in Osun State. These are: Osun State University, College of Education, Ila Orangun, College of Education, Ilesa, The Polytechnic, Iree, College of Technology, Esa Oke, and Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa.
“The committee noted that the tertiary institutions stated above are riddled with impunity, non-adherence to due process, financial recklessness and mismanagement of funds.
“It was also noted that there are more temporary/contract staff than the regular staff which portend avenue for fraudulent practices.”
Recommending way out for the government, the Committee in its report stated, “All principal officers, including but not limited to provosts, Rectors, Registrars and bursars -(both acting and substantive capacities) in the institutions listed below should be relieved of their duties and made to hand over to the most senior officers in their primary places of assignment.
“1.Osun State University
2. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree
3. Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke
4. Osun State College of Education, Ilesa
5. Osun State College of Education, Ila
6. Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa.”
Responding further to UNIOSUN VC’s claims, Bakrin-Ottun alleged that “Some of his staff earn 2 salaries, and as such wanted us to audit them twice each and I said this wasn’t right and refused. They then all stormed out.
“They earn salaries at the university and earn full salaries again at the University Teaching Hospital, 2 salaries from the same purse…?
This is wrong. You can earn full salaries at 1 point and earn only stipend/allowance from another simultaneously. This is where we attracted his (the VCs ) wrath.”
(Punch)
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